Barest-Bones, Inexpensive Hair Care Regime?

[1953Diygal]

Ready....Go!

Let's pretend you had a very small paycheck and had to come up with an effective, but very inexpensive hair care routine. What products (shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, styling...whatever) would you purchase? Why?

[jeanniet]

Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut conditioner and LA Looks gel. Done, easy, cheap. It's pretty much what I use now.

[Colochita]

Let's see...

If I were at home (tropical climate),

Prepoo: Coconut oil
Why: Cheap, effective, and I use it now.

Shampoo: Aphogee Curlific Texture Treatment
Why: I use this now and it lasts months because I dilute it, so I suppose I'd stick to it.

Conditioner: Blended overripe avocado (super cheap, plus we have a tree at home), aloe vera gel (also grown at home), and extra virgin olive oil if I could afford it.
Why: I've used this concoction before when I had no access to my staples and my hair loves it. If I weren't in a tropical climate, I would switch the avocado for some cheap full fat mayo.

Leave-in: Aloe vera gel.
Why: Plant is easily grown at home and my hair enjoys it.

Oils: Olive Oil and whatever other cheap kitchen oil I could find to seal.
Why: Sealant is very necessary for me.

If I could afford extras, I'd get Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie and double it as a styler and final sealant like I do now.

[Doreen]

Whichever cheapest sulfate shampoo and Tresemme conditioner when it goes on sale for $3/Liter. For a year or so I did CWC with these products and it worked fine; my hair didn't feel the silkiest ever but it was completely manageable just with a little extra brushing. In total would come out to ~$20 per year (if I went through 5 bottles; currently use about 3.5/yr but I don't do prewash with it), average $1.67/month which seems pretty good! Interesting question & good to keep in mind!

[chantecler]

as shampoo I would probably use dilluted castille, maybe with coconut milk, and would skip the conditionner to use oil after AND before washes. Probably coconut oil and any cheap oil I can find. Maybe castor?

[Arctic]

I would probably use the same shampoo and conditioner I do now, they are quite cheap. I use the same conditioner as a leave-in. Where I would save probably would be styling products, and I probably wouldn't use any in every day life, mousse occasionally. All my products are on the cheap side already though, I see it wasteful to put big money on products/shampoos/etc that get washed down the drain anyway. I don't use that much styling produts now, but experimenting with them can be suprisingly expensive, even when buying cheaper stuff. So experimenting would be out, I think.

[Upside Down]

Coconut oil, one egg per week a little bit of ACV and I am good.

[Johannah]

Pre-poo: coconut oil. Doesn't cost a lot of money and you can do aaaages with it. It's not the most effective one for my hair, but it works very well.

Shampoo: the cheapest I could find.

Conditioner: Andrélon Keratin Repair because that's the only thing that's still effective after months. Maybe I could dilute it with water or use less.

After washing: MO. Works great, really cheap.

Maybe as an extra treatment: gelatin (also really cheap and effective) or leave my conditioner longer than normal.

[Anje]

Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut conditioner and LA Looks gel. Done, easy, cheap. It's pretty much what I use now.

Me too, but I prefer other scents of the conditioner (the protein in the coconut one is too much for my hair) and I'd rather have shampoo instead of gel for my mostly-straight hair, but this is my fallback routine between experiments.

So for me: Suave Naturals shampoo and conditioner in Aloe and Waterlily. Dilute the shampoo in an empty bottle and squirt it on the scalp.

Occasionally a drop of olive oil on my nearly dry ends after a shower is nice. That's in the kitchen anyway.

[embee]

WO (stretched out as far apart as possible) or NW/SO work for me.

If there is an emergency and I really *need* to use a shampoo, I have a bottle of Suave something which I dilute *a lot*. Don't need conditioner generally, but there is some here (used for washing woolens).

If I needed an oil (which I never have used) I'd try EVOO as that's what I have in my kitchen already.

[jacqueline101]

For 25.00 go to big lots pump size Pantene beautiful lengths shampoo and conditioner 5.00 each
For 2.00 each beautiful lengths leave in
5.00 truly natural shine serum
Mane n tail conditioner 5.00

[truepeacenik]

Assuming I could make a bulk purchase and go a year or more on it, I'd get a gallon of cure care from Sally Beauty Supply. Coney, so i would need a couple bottles of a sulphate shampoo in addition to a gallon of Shikai Everyday shampoo.
Price estimate: $40 for 18 months.

Both the conditioner and shampoo get diluted. When I last bought cure care, I wasn't diluting much and the gallon made it more than a year. Close to 18 months, iirc. My current half gallon of Shikai is more than a year old, and barely less than half full. I really dilute it, typically only scalp wash, and rotate a poo bar in now and again.

If I was SLS free/ lived with soft water, a couple poo bars, ACV, the gallon of conditioner (my hair works better with conditioner, but CO encourages shed).
Depending on the source, the cost would be just a bit more than the S&C option, due to bar melt, bar cost, using the bar as a body bar, too, and replenishing ACV, which I use more liberally than most.
Price estimate: $55, for a year.

Pre/deep treatment: Olive oil, aloe vera.
I can get away with deep conditioning the last six to seven inches only for a long time. Olive oil is all but scalp. One or twice a year I use an EO and oil treatment on my scalp. I don't count in in cost as I have EOs in my aromatherapy/housecleaning kit.

Price estimate: $20/gal for olive oil, $15 for a couple tubes of pure aloe vera gel.

So, annually, $75-$90.

[Madora]

While not inexpensive, I'd still stick to my George Michael Pink Creme Shampoo because I only need it once a month and I also dilute it. I have a bottle of mineral oil already that will last for years. My wide tooth comb and boar bristle brush are must haves also. The last item in my regime are my crimped hairpins. That's all I have been using for the last 40 years (except the MO) and they've more than proven their worth.

[EmmAutumn]

I would buy the cheapest shampoo and conditioner my local drugstore has, I bought the conditioner the other day on sale for 89 cents (aka NOTHING for half a liter).
I would dilute the shampoo a bit and the conditioner doubles as a leave in (I only found out after i had gone through several bottles that the label says it's actually intended as a leave in).
For oiling/pre poo i'd use coconut oil and/or EVOO.. and that's about it! These are things i've already been using and I know they work for my hair.

[-Fern]

Honestly, the healthiest my hair has ever been was during my two years in the Peace Corps when I only washed it about once a week (if that, heh). I know I didn't have any conditioner or oil that I put in it, I think I just used water and soap and amla hair food that I magically found in the marketplace. It had buildup out the wazzoo, but I think the buildup actually protected it some from sun damage.

But back to the question... my hair gets along really well with cheap Mexican chamomile shampoo (<$1 for 0.75 liter, I think), so I would go back to only shampooing once a week with that, and 8 oz of coconut oil ($3.50 at the grocery store, cheaper in bulk) would last me at least 9 months if I just oiled the ends every other week (and the roots as needed).

[lapushka]

Ready....Go!

Let's pretend you had a very small paycheck and had to come up with an effective, but very inexpensive hair care routine. What products (shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, styling...whatever) would you purchase? Why?

Well, I double condition and my second conditioner has to be a good one, because otherwise: tangles & knots.

That being said.

Pantene Aqua Light shampoo (on sale)
Mineral oil (rinse-out oil method) - very cheap
Any cheap conditioner (around € 1/2)
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration (on sale every time)
Leave-in (Hegron or got2b - not too expensive, esp. the Hegron one)
Gel (Eco Styler)
Serum (Aldi serum currently, some gotten for €4, some for €2)

Obviously we stock up whenever there's a sale. So... it's not too too expensive.

[Sterlyn]

Regular sized bottle of Pantene volume shampoo, I don't use much so it will last a long time
Biggest bottle of Pantene conditioner at the cheapest price
MO, regular size will last me probably 10 years at the rate I use it....

Combining those products for the Rinse out oil method, I bet I could get through a year on the above products, using the same bottles

ETA; forgot gallon bottle of white vinegar for final rinse, might go through 2 of those in a year, but still not expensive.

[Anje]

Assuming I could make a bulk purchase and go a year or more on it, I'd get a gallon of cure care from Sally Beauty Supply.
I really, really wanted Cure Care to work for me. :) Cheap, light, unscented, silicone-free conditioner; what's not to love? (Apparently, my hair's response to that was "it has keratin.")

[Nadine <3]

I would continue using my Pantene.

[endlessly]

Damn, this is surprisingly difficult especially considering I made a drastic hair care switch about a year ago and while my products are a bit more on the expensive side, they've lasted me nearly 4 times longer than the "cheaper" products I used to use. Also, now I'm silicone-free and there aren't many silicone-free cheaper alternatives!

I suppose, if I absolutely had to, I would go with the Herbal Essences Rose shampoo and conditioner, and probably just use olive oil as a leave-in treatment. I used to use those products for years and while my hair didn't look bad, it wasn't nearly as healthy as it is now with my new products.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I would stick to my routine. It's not the most inexpensive, but the products are as cheap as I can go without irritating my skin.

Garnier Fructis Shampoos and conditioners run me about $3 each, often a few cents cheaper. I can also get them on sale at CVS on a buy one get one deal. Right now, the Color Shield Shampoo and Damage Eraser Conditioner are a match made in heaven!

I also like Garnier's Marvelous Dry Oil. If I remember correctly, it's not really any pricier than their other products.

I would be (and have been) fine with just those three products in my routine. So, assuming I can get them on sale, you're looking at $6-$7 for my entire routine. That's not bad, if you ask me. That's also if I buy the smaller bottles. They have larger sizes that are just under $5 too.

For any deep treatments, I'll just stick with olive oil. I always have it on hand so it doesn't require me to spend any extra.

[Hairkay]

The minimalist regime I have now is inexpensive.

Water washes
monthly mild vinegar rinse
Once a day coconut oil/olive oil as a pre-rinse treatment or with water as a leave in conditioner or as a wash out deep conditioner
Almond oil to seal the coconut oil/olive oil
monthly henna gloss with coconut milk (cost £0.99 for 100g of 100% henna BAQ where I live and it makes 4 gloss treatments)
Fortnightly treatment of pure banana & water puree banana mask, occasional switch to oatmeal mask if scalp is too itchy
Alternate fortnight of just plain yogurt deep conditioner
finger detangling
Hair in plaits/braids with little or no hair ornaments
use satin sleep cap

I cook with the oils so I put some aside in the bathroom for skin and hair use and the rest stays in the kitchen. I also eat yogurt, coconut milk, oats, vinegar and bananas so I have some for food and a little for hair use. I like making stuff so I make my own scrunchies, scarves and head bands.

[lapushka]

Oh, and I'm a once a week washer, so that helps keep the price in check. ;)

[TaterTot]

I use a tiny bit of coconut oil once a week, I soak my hair in the bath ~5 times a week, use a boar bristle brush.

[meteor]

I don't need anything expensive in hair-care.
But especially good buys are:
- The Body Shop comb (wooden, seamless, only $5-7);
- any vegetable oil in those huge 1-2L bottles for oiling and deep treatments (will last forever, a little goes a long way!);
- Knox gelatin for protein packs;
- white vinegar in 1L bottles;
- family-sized huge bottles of shampoo and conditioner or products from dollar stores;
- diluting shampoo and conditioner, stretching washes and water-only.

[MoonlitWitch]

Pretty much what I do now...
CO wash once a week or less with conditioner of choice, I usually use organic.
Oil on the ends every day
Heavy oiling once a week
- I usually use coconut, jojoba, or olive oil.

Pretty cheap and very effective.

[Carolyn]

I would guess I have at least a 5 year supply of products on hand. Does that count?

[gwenalyn]

Pantene conditioners (ones with the "sleek" "shiny" claims), Head & Shoulders shampoo, hair ties.

[lapushka]

I would guess I have at least a 5 year supply of products on hand. Does that count?

Yep, I'm not much off of that. I have a huge supply of "stuff". If you stock up well whenever there's a sale, you tend to accumulate things. :lol: I do not need to buy shampoo/conditioner, body butters, lotion, hygiene products, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. for a while. Quite a while.

[Avis]

My routine is fairly inexpensive. I do a WCC with the following:
Pantene Weekly Deep Cleanse purifying shampoo that I use so little of, the one bottle will easily last me years.
Tresemme Moisutre Rich Luxurious Moisture conditioner
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration.

For deep conditioning and leave-ins I use:
Mineral oil
NightBlooming's salves
Homemade rosemary rinse (I get organic rosemary in these little plastic containers in the produce section. It's 18.9g and I use half of it to make a shampoo bottle full of rinse which is enough for 3 rinses. So I get 6 rinses from a $2 purchase).

The most expensive thing on my list is probably the NightBlooming stuff (the sampler pack) but even though it was $14 plus shipping, I bought it in mid-October and all but one of them are half full (optimism! :D). The last one is only less than half because I had to wash it out when a few ants got inside of it. So I think it I had a fixed or small income (which I actually do), I'd probably keep doing what I'm doing. Everything I have will last me a long time.

[CremeTron]

Cheapie conditioner and castor oil are all my hair needs so I could exist with those if I had to.

Apart from shampoo, that is all I use now and it works fine.

Shampoo, condition, oil on wet hair. Thassit!! : ) I hope I start a trend!

[chen bao jun]

Thinking about this.

I use cheap conditioner and tresemme as a leave in. But I feel I have to have, Jamaican black castor oil, aloe vera gel, honey, vinegar, olive oil for my hair. I also like a Shea Butter mixture around. And rosewater and essential oils.not very bare bones.

[lapushka]

Thinking about this.

I use cheap conditioner and tresemme as a leave in. But I feel I have to have, Jamaican black castor oil, aloe vera gel, honey, vinegar, olive oil for my hair. I also like a Shea Butter mixture around. And rosewater and essential oils.not very bare bones.

Yes but they aren't very expensive products, right?

[Imalath]

I don't use the cheapest products out there, but I have my routine pared down to the basics for my hair.

For a year I buy:

1 Suave Professionals Shampoo @ 2.88/bottle
2 Suave Professionals Conditioner @ 2.88/bottle
1 Kinky Curly Knot Today @ 11.99/bottle
1 Nizoral @ 13.67/bottle

I spend about $35 a year on hair products. The bottle of KCKT will last me almost two years though, and it covers a lot of gaps left behind by cheaper conditioners. I could probably switch to less expensive shampoos and conditioners and rely more on the KCKT, but the suave makes my hair look good instead of just meh. A weekly wash with a tiny bit of Nizoral lathered up and massaged into my scalp immediately after shampooing with SLS keeps my SD at bay.

Not listed: oils and other cheap conditioners. I have a bottle of V05 that lives in my shower that I am trying to use up. Not an integral part of my routine, I just like the smell. I also oil my ends; I used to use coconut oil but have better luck with almond oil or baby oil in a pinch. If I had to buy an oil just for my hair instead of using what I have in the house I would stick with almond if I didn't just give it up altogether. It's expensive, but a bottle would last you years, properly stored.

[amanda_the_tall]

I'd go with Suave green apple shampoo and conditioner. I love the smell of those (not too strong), and my hair is usually pretty happy with cone free! For deep conditioning I would use Aussie 3 minute miracle moist. That squeeze tube is deceptively longer lasting than one would think! My normal routine is just S & C, but I can Co wash occasionally. Generally I'm super lazy about hair care.

[CremeTron]

Ooh I forget that I must have beeswax now! It is a new find. I bought it as I had no hair products and that was the best hair product available at the time apart from Vaseline and I really love it : ) It goes on a bit tacky but it keeps my hair neat and in place all day and is not greasy in small amounts. I have various other oils- avocado, sweet almond, coconut.. but if I had to only have one: castor oil

[battles]

Wash with aloe vera gel and honey, v05 for conditioner, mix the three for deep treatments or heavier conditioning. Gelatin for protein treatments. Olive oil for a leave in or pre-poo.

[Annalouise]

I used a vegetable soap and a tea rinse I made from rosemary growing in my garden for a year. That probably cost me 10$ a year.
I think that's pretty darn minimalist!:p

[Achlys]

I would get some oil that I can use both for cooking and pre-poo, find a shampoo that is gentle and cheap enough and use citric acid for rinses.

[Lavendersugar]

Pantene or Suave Naturals for shampoo & conditioner (given I did not get the itches from SLS or SLeS)
Leave in detangler Kinky curly knot today
Hair protection when blow drying would be pantene smooth blow dry.
Hair treatments canned coconut milk.

That is pretty much me now except I use a different shampoo and have some high end products for leave in & protection that I rotate.

[Kelikea]

My hair does fine with V05 or Suave. V05 runs about $.79/bottle and suave about $1.50 for the family size. I use Dr. Bronner's hair cream as a leave-in. It runs about $7, but lasts me over a year.

[jenrjen]

Hmmm... Good thread!

I have a HUGE bag of citric acid from when I thought I'd make bath bombs. Like enough to last a couple generations...
So, if my paycheck suddenly went missing or was WAY short, I could get by for a couple months with just what I have on hand and a $4 bar of Dr. Bronner's soap. I could use the citric acid in my hard water to make a decent water for washing. (I prefer distilled water, but the $.85 twice a week could be expensive with no paycheck.)

So that bar would last 2 months. (I seriously have like a 5 lb bag of citric acid. I use like a teaspoon for washing if I don't have distilled water.) And honestly, I pay a lot of my expenses with a rewards credit card (like gas to an from work and groceries), so I could use my rewards to pay for the Dr. Bronner's on Amazon.

Kind of nice to know that is it got bad (or the city messed up payroll, which has happened...) I could continue with quality hair care!

[excentricat]

Cheap, cone-free conditioner like suave for first C and Tressemme Naturals moisture conditioner for second C. I'd have to do some experimenting to find a shampoo that didn't aggravate my scalp. A bit of vinegar and mineral oil when I need an extra something and I'm good to go.

[jenrjen]

Hmmm... Good thread!

I have a HUGE bag of citric acid from when I thought I'd make bath bombs. Like enough to last a couple generations...
So, if my paycheck suddenly went missing or was WAY short, I could get by for a couple months with just what I have on hand and a $4 bar of Dr. Bronner's soap. I could use the citric acid in my hard water to make a decent water for washing. (I prefer distilled water, but the $.85 twice a week could be expensive with no paycheck.)

So that bar would last 2 months. (I seriously have like a 5 lb bag of citric acid. I use like a teaspoon for washing if I don't have distilled water.) And honestly, I pay a lot of my expenses with a rewards credit card (like gas to an from work and groceries), so I could use my rewards to pay for the Dr. Bronner's on Amazon.

Kind of nice to know that is it got bad (or the city messed up payroll, which has happened...) I could continue with quality hair care!

[jenrjen]

*sigh* double post and can't edit.
I'll edit that in like 16 more posts.. which at an average of ten posts in 4.5 years...
I'll fix it around 2022!

[SunlightShines]

If I could afford it, I would stick to the Biotera Ultra Color Care shampoo & conditioner that I use now. I usually wait for Sally's BOGO sales. And I sometimes use Beyond the Zone Smooth Criminal leave in. But in a pinch, I'd break out my soap nuts for shampoo, ACV for conditioner and Aloe (I have 2 big plants) for a leave in.

[erizabesu]

My routine consists of water only washes, tea rinses, lemon juice rinses, and the very occasional use of camellia oil. Other than the camellia oil, it hardly costs anything. The camellia oil is a bit more pricey ($18 for a 2 ounce bottle), but I use it so sparingly that a single bottle could probably last me a year or more.

[jacqueline101]

I forgot to mention I'm the only one who uses Pantene in my house the pump size last for a year or nearly. The truly natural last for 6 months it's 2 ounces or less mane n tail last 6 months. My nature fusion has lasted 6 months and going strong.

[gthlvrmx]

I would only take 2 things. I would take Baby Oil and suave strawberry conditioner. That's basically what I use on wash day anyways :P

[kidari]

I would buy the huge bottle of Kirkland sls-free moisture shampoo from my Costco and use that diluted and keep stretching washes. I'd probably skip conditioner most of the time and just oil it with whatever cooking oils I have in the kitchen for both light oiling and heavy oilings accordingly. I'd make my own spray conditioner by diluting V05 conditioner with some water and sometimes rinse with a vinegar rinse after washing. That's the cheapest, most effective hair care I can think of that would work perfectly fine for my hair long term.

[stachelbeere]

for a year:

- coconut oil: ok, I could switch to the refined variation that has no coconut smell because it's cheaper. Price: approx 20 PLN/ 500 ml which is toooo much coconut oil!
- Alterra pomegranate & aloe vera shampoo (bought on sale at Rossman) Price: approx 6 PLN
- Alterra pomegranate & aloe vera mask (not conditioner because the mask is more concentrated and costs exactly the same - also bought on sale at Rossman) Price: approx 6 PLN x 3 = 18 PLN as I need around three bottles for a year - I think
- water for my aloe vera plant
- gelatin 2 PLN/ 1 pack
- citric acid 2 PLN/ enough for a year
- honey - I always get free raw honey from my parents. Otherwise the regular kind is 10 PLN
- hydrolised keratin and elastin: approx 10 PLN for both

That's 68 PLN = $18,41 = 16,29 € = £11.93

do I win life? :D

mini rant: I absolutely HATE HATE HATE that 68 PLN, which is a substantial amount of money here (you can buy two meals at a medium range restaurant for that, or 6-7 beers, or a week's worth of the most crucial groceries), shrinks down to lousy £12. It's always depressing to see the £12 go in seconds on small things when I'm in the UK :( heck, a single train ticket from Reading to London costs £18 on a weekend, Y U shrink so much PLNs???

[RainbowBowser]

This is still sorta high maintenance but in retrospect a lot of these things last because I wash my hair twice a week.
(Even as a daily washer it used to take 3 months to get through shampoo and conditioner)
So this stuff would last 6 months to a year anyway.
Routine of preference: WCC
Shampoo of preference: sulfate free, but since I don't know any particularly cheap ones, anything without cones or protein would do.
I like Aussie, Herbal Essences, etc. those cost around $3.50 - $5 depending on the size
A cone free conditioner (v05): $1-2
A coney protein conditioner (HE Hello Hydration): $3.50 - $5 depending on size
Clear Aloe Gel (PC brand): $6.50
any cheaper brand honey: around $4

As for leave-in I'd probably just do coconut oil too. I'm guessing a jar is like $10
Maximum total: $32
Assuming lower prices: $28
If I reeeeeally wanted to cut back I'd just ditch the honey and aloe entirely and do a $1-2 shampoo.
With that it'd be around the $20 mark.

Not bad, sticking to longhair ways would be easier and cheaper since I wouldnt want styling products or anything. I barely use heat as is.
(btw its canadian dollars and ours is worth less than the american dollar ><)

[lapushka]

I wish cheapie conditioners worked for me, but, they don't detangle all too well for me. I need more "substance" to a conditioner. I spend about €1 to €2 on my first conditioner and about the same on my second one - if it's on sale. US brands are not obtainable, unless you want to overpay on ebay (shipping and such). So then a Suave or VO5 one won't be as cheap.

I tend to love our local "Action" store as they always have Pantene/Herbal Essences or a L'oréal brand on sale. And they have their own range of products called "Hegron" which have never failed me, not one bit! Kind of comparable to your Suave and VO5 stuff - except I think the quality is better. I have tried Suave coconut condish before.

[Carolyn]

Yep, I'm not much off of that. I have a huge supply of "stuff". If you stock up well whenever there's a sale, you tend to accumulate things. :lol: I do not need to buy shampoo/conditioner, body butters, lotion, hygiene products, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. for a while. Quite a while.I figure I'm set if there is a conditioner famine! I think I could get by on what I have in my house and only have to buy antiperspirant, disposable razors and make up wipes for a very long time.

[lapushka]

I figure I'm set if there is a conditioner famine! I think I could get by on what I have in my house and only have to buy antiperspirant, disposable razors and make up wipes for a very long time.

I don't have to buy a thing for a long time. But this is a "system" that was put in place by my mom and me. I am disabled and can't get to a store anywhere fast, so that's why we have a huge supply of things, so it's just... there, you know. ;) :D

[Linnea]

Since I'm unemplyed right now this thread is very actual. Pre LHC when I was studying in high school and was quite broke, I used to use cheapest Finnish shampoo Erittäin Hieno Suomalainen for 1,60 euro at the time, and the conditioner from the same series. Looking back, i washed too frequently, every other day at least, these products are fine for some people, but they're the one of the cheapest you can get from the store, so nothing fancy. My hair is much dryer nowadays as the end are dip dyed, so they are bleached and very porous, so not a question I would survive using only these products.

At one hand my knowledge has increased since those years, on the other hand I'm trying to simplify and streamline the haircare routine, since beeing guilty of hoarding hair stuff in later years. For what I've noticed benign neglect is indeed the best way for the hair and for streching the products also.

[Alex Lou]

This is too easy. Extend washes to save money on products and water! Dollar store shampoo and conditioner. This is pretty much what I already do.

[leilani]

Twice a week shampoo with whatever dandruff shampoo to keep itchiness away.
That's all I do! Occasionally I smooth a couple drops of oil on while damp, but could be whatever is in the kitchen.

[animetor7]

Natural bar soap, can pick that up at the grocery store pretty cheaply, a vinegar rinse and coconut oil for moisturizing, leave-in and a conditioner. That's all, :) And stretching washes.

[RancheroTheBee]

I think my barest routine was CO-wash with Mane N' Tail, followed by coconut oil. I used shampoo maybe once a month. It's my preferred method for APL+.

[Aspsusa]

I would guess I have at least a 5 year supply of products on hand. Does that count?


Yep, I'm not much off of that. I have a huge supply of "stuff". If you stock up well whenever there's a sale, you tend to accumulate things. :lol: I do not need to buy shampoo/conditioner, body butters, lotion, hygiene products, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. for a while. Quite a while.

The stash does grow, doesn't it?
And my DH and I have a hobby: when travelling we try to buy things like toothpaste, soap and shampoo etc as souvenirs, rather than "stuff".

And as my frequency of washing has changed quite a bit since we started this hobby, I probably have enough conditioners ('coney, mostly central european Tesco store brand - they are surprisingly good for the price) to last a few years .


Since I'm unemplyed right now this thread is very actual. Pre LHC when I was studying in high school and was quite broke, I used to use cheapest Finnish shampoo Erittäin Hieno Suomalainen for 1,60 euro at the time, and the conditioner from the same series. Looking back, i washed too frequently, every other day at least, these products are fine for some people, but they're the one of the cheapest you can get from the store, so nothing fancy. My hair is much dryer nowadays as the end are dip dyed, so they are bleached and very porous, so not a question I would survive using only these products.

If I couldn't use my stash, that is probably the shampoo I'd get. I figure one bottle would probably last 3-6 months at least, depending on how often I wash. Though I think it is closer to 2 euros a bottle now.

Conditioner is another matter. My hair tangles something fierce, and just a little bit of 'coney Aussie 3MM is equal to at least 3-4 times as much of a cheap conditioner. Problem is that Aussie is absurdly expensive here - 3MM that costs 6-7 € in Germany is around 13-15 € here!

But I wouldn't need to buy a separate conditioner at all, if I felt that box-colour was in my budget. Only problem is that the price of my preferred brand (L'oreal Recital excellence or preference) follows the same idiotic pattern as Aussie, only worse: 6-8 € in Germany, 12-17(!) € here.

If money was really tight (and I didn't travel at all to cheaper places so I could stock up) I could probably make one bottle of Aussie 3MM last me a whole year.

What else?
Vinegar is already in the house, Coconut oil too.

My scalp problems are presently held in check by a medicated solution I buy at a pharmacy, it is pretty expensive IMO at 11-12 euros for 100ml. But OTOH that bottle lasts me over a year if applied with a pipette. If I colour my hair it lasts even longer (the main active ingredient, Resorcinol, is in the box-colours I use, that's how I found it).
If I was really trying to save I might see if some concoction with Tea Tree oil would work as effectively. Tea Tree oil also already present for other purposes.

A good detangler of some sort is essential. If I were lucky I might find one for 1-3 euros, otherwise a tangle teezer.

So bare minimum would be:
Shampoo: ~ 4 euros
Conditioner: ~ 14 euros
Detangler: ~ 2 euros
A total of 20 euros, with most of it going on those overpriced Aussie 'cones.

A more luxurious minimum:
Shampoo: ~ 4 euros
Colour and Conditioner: 4x 12 (I refuse to pay those ridiculous prices) = 48 euros
Scalp medication: ~ 12 euros (this will last longer than a year when colouring my hair)
Detangler: ~ 2 euros

And we are at 66 euros - which is probably less than I actually spend now, because I buy colours and conditioner when I find them at better prices abroad. I don't think I've bought box-colour in Finland for many, many years now. If I have less than 3 boxes in the cupboard I stock up if I visit Poland, Estonia or Germany.

No one in this thread has mentioned pins or elastics. Now when I have learned how to use a stick, I would just continue using pencils and knitting needles as I do now. The cuffs of old socks make good elastics btw, if you just have to have a ponytail.

[sarahthegemini]

My routine now is the simplest, cheapest I could imagine. I co-wash every other day with Asda conditioner (80p per 500ml, lasts about three weeks) Use Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultimate Volume as a leave-in conditioner which costs 99p-£1 depending on store. One 250ml bottle of that would last me 6 months.

[Libbylou]

Pretty much the same as I do now. I use Natures Gate sls free and mineral oil. A bottle of Natures Gate lasts me over a year and I wash every other day or 2 days at the most. 2 drops of mineral oil. I have bought some toadstool soaps shampoo in the last year. One bottle to treat myself for working overtime.

[swearnsue]

Barest bones would be: Pantene Ice Shine shampoo, Aussie Moist 3MM condish, baby oil.

With Ice Shine I don't need a clarifying shampoo. I can dilute it if my hair isn't really dirty.

Aussie Moist is really good and inexpensive and often on sale.

Baby oil is cheap and excellent at smoothing hair and fighting static which I get here in the desert. Baby oil doesn't build up and will wash out next shampoo.

Satin pillowcases can be found at second hand shops for a dollar. A wide toothed comb is a must have too. Clean water. Pizza. Chocolate...

[catasa]

Well, pretty much any cheap silicone free shampoo, preferably also SLS free, diluted well with water and a bit of ACV to fix acidity. Then a few drops of mineral oil as leave in. That´s pretty much what I did for a long time. Now my hair actually likes me to use conditioner sometimes and the one that I have fund works isn´t really cheap, but I think I could manage without it again.

[Soulina]

I would not change much. I use Lush Godiva solid shampoo and coconut oil.

One solid shampoo lasts around 50-80 washes and I wash my hair 1-2 times a week. So one will last for a year, cheapest coconut oil is 5€ small jar, and it will last me year or two.

Lush Godiva 13,50€
Coconut oil 5€

18,50€ /year

[Nellon]

Being a Swede :) I would get a jar of coconut oil, a seriously cheap conditioner without cones for co-wash (coop), and tresemme or some other (Respons fex.) a bit more but not super expensive conditioner to use as a second conditioner. I could also make do with only the cheap conditioner, do a bit of post oiling and also stretch washes :) For occasional clarifying I would get a cheap sulfate shampoo (no brand kind of 14 dollar type).

or: I'd get a not so expensive non sulfate shampoo (Urtekram) and then a ok-ish cone free conditioner (Respons or Elvital or Loreal or whatever the name is that has a good one without cones :)).

Actually these options are pretty much what I use now :)

[FurryLady]

Hm..I would get a cone free conditioner an a bottle of sunflower or safflower oil. Sometimes I would grant myself a bottle of khadi balsam oil so my scalp wouldn't freak out. But instead of conditioner I'd love to buy a couple of the cheapest super market oils and make a soap bar out of it. That would last much longer than conditioner and would be the the cheapest option for me I can think of (around 10 bugs a year). Oh and lemon juice for my rinse.
Hmm.. thats exactly what I am using today :D Ok, not the cheapest oils - but just shampoo bars, oils and lemon juice. From time to time I try something different but nothing has been as good as this routine.

[RainbowBowser]

Another alternative I didn't consider was getting any cheap shampoo and mineral oil, and just go with a cheap Goody BBB. I'd basically try a cheaper version of Madora's routine.

[AlexDig]

Soap nuts for shampoo, diluted ACV for conditioner, and, if I was going to get fancy with it, castor oils for hair serum, deep conditioner, and scalp treatment!

[ositarosita]

Bare Bones for me is simple as it's actually what i prefer.

Garnier fructis shampoo and conditioner (3-5 dollars lasts me a minimum of 2 months)
-fall fight
-sleek and shine
-hydra recharge


Garnier Fructis serum (5-7 dollars lasts a minimum of 6 months)
-sleek and shine
-miracle oil